Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Apple Cinnamon rolls are a great party starter or a yummy snack. I made these this time to teach a my daughter and her 2 friends how to make them. They all thoroughly enjoyed the cooking process and the taste of them. I had to beg them to wait so I can take pics for the blog 😃.  They were eating off the filling before making the rolls... it was a fun experience. Sending this dish to blogging marathon #70 under kids delight.  

Preparation Time: 10 minutes 
Cook Time: 2 minutes per roll
Makes : 15 rolls

Ingredients:

Red Apples - 3 peeled and chopped finely
Cinnamon powder: 1 tablespoon
Powdered Sugar : 1/2 cup
Salt : 1/2 teaspoon 
Lemon : 1/2 a medium 
Spring roll sheets : 15
Water : 2 tablespoons
Maida /all purpose flour : 1 teaspoon 

Method: Take the apple pieces, add lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, salt and mix well.  Mix all purpose flour and water to make a mixture. Take the homemade or store bought spring roll sheets and place a tablespoon of the apple mixture in a corner and roll them like spring rolls. At the end, seal it with the APF and water mixture so the roll sticks. Heat oil for deep frying and slowly drop the rolls in the oil 2-3 at a time. Fry them till they turn golden on all sides, take them out with a strainer and place them on a paper towel for 1 minute. Sprinkle some cinnamon powder on top and serve hot or at room temperature. (If serving hot, you can serve with some ice cream too). Note: Step by step Folding instructions of a spring roll is in my vegetable rolls post.

Virgin Mojito

Mojito is normally made with alcohol. But Virgin Mojito is alcohol free and kid friendly. It's a refreshing drink with flavors of mint and strawberry.
My princess is into cooking now a days so she helped prep this one. Both the loved the drink.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients:
 Sparkling soda : 500 ml
 Strawberry crush : 2 tablespoons
 Mint leaves: 2 tablespoons
 Lemon : 1/2 of a small
 Ice : 1 cup

Method:

Crush the Mint leaves using a muddler or a mortar pestal. Add all ingredients in a bottle with a tight lid and shake vigorously for 1 minute. Serve immediately.

Pepper Rasam

Pepper Rasam is a simple Rasam recipe which helps with the colds. You can serve this as soup or mixed with white rice. It's simple to make yet really delicious.  

  Preparation Time: 5 minutes 
  Cook Time: 20 minutes 
  Serves: 4-5  

  Ingredients: Tomatoes: 2 large chopped  Garlic : 5 cloves roughly mashed  Fresh ground pepper: 1 tablespoon  Turmeric: 1/2 teaspoon  Asafoetida : 1/2 teaspoon  Mustard seeds/ Aavalu : 1 teaspoon  Curry leaves: 2 sprigs Water:3 cups Salt to taste.  

  Method: Heat oil in a saucepan or a vessel and add mustard seeds. Let them splatter, add curry leaves and asafoetida and fry for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and garlic, cook until they turn mushy.  Add water, ground pepper, turmeric, salt and bring it to a boil. Let it boil for 5 minutes and turn off the stove. Serve hot as soup or with white rice.  

     

Gudannam / Jaggery Rice - 8th day Navratri Neivedyam

Gudannam/Jaggery Rice is the 8th day Navratri Neivedyam. As the name says, this rice is made with jaggery, ghee and topped with nuts. Only use Jaggery in the preparation of this rice if making it as Neivedyam. Sugar can not be used.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time : 20 minutes
Serves : 2-3

Ingredients:

Rice : 1 cup
Jaggery /Gud/Bellam : 1 cup
Water : 2 cups
Ghee : 1 1/2 tablespoons
Cashews : 15
Raisins : 10
Elachi/Cardamom powder : 1/2 teaspoon

Method :

Wash and soak rice for 15 minutes.
Heat water in a vessel and bring it to a boil. Drain and add rice to water. Let it cook for 10 minutes and add grated jaggery. Mix well and 1 tablespoon ghee and elachi powder. Cook until the rice is completely cooked. The rice will be a little soft but that's how this rice is made. Turn off the stove.
Heat ghee in a small pan and fry the cashews and raisins. Fry till golden and add them to the rice.
Mix well and serve at room temperature.

Sakhannam/ Vegetable Rice - 7th day Navrati Neivedyam

Sakhannam or Mixed Vegetable rice is a very simple and healthy rice which is offered as Neivedyam on the 7th day of Navratri. This rice works really well for lunch boxes too.

Preparation Time : 10 minutes
Cook Time : 20 minutes
Serves : 4-5

Ingredients:

Sona Masori Rice or any similar variety : 2 cups
Carrots : 2 medium diced
Capsicum/Green bell pepper : 3 small diced
Cauliflower (optional) : 1 cup diced
Beans : 10 chopped into 1" pieces
Potato : 4 peeled and diced
Water : 4 cups
Ghee : 3 tablespoons
Garam Masala : 3 tablespoons
Elachi/ cardamom powder : 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and soak rice for 10 minutes.
Heat ghee in a pressure cooker( use an aluminum one), add all the veggies and cook for 4-5 minutes until they are cooked.
Drain the rice and add it to the veggies and fry for 2 minutes.
Add water, salt, elachi powder and garam masala. Close lid and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Turn off the stove.
Serve hot or warm with raita or as is.

Kesari Baath/ Ravva Kesari - 6th day Navaratri Neivedyam

Kesari Baath is a simple yet delicious sweet made with sooji and sugar. This is offered as the 6th day Neivedyam for Navratri.
You can make this desert to finish of a meal any day.
Kids absolutely will love the taste of it as there are nuts and ghee mixed in.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time : 15 minutes 
Serves : 6-8

Ingredients:

Sooji/ Bombai Ravva : 1 cup
Sugar : 1 1/2 cups
Water : 4 cups
Elachi/cardamom powder : 1/4 teaspoon
Food color : 4 drops
Saffron : 5-6 strands
Ghee: 2 tablespoons
Nuts(cashews, pistachio, almonds and raisins) : 2 tablespoons

Method:

Dry roast the sooji in a pan until good aroma comes out of the sooji. (I dry roasted 1/4 kg and it took me 5 minutes)
Heat water in a pan along with food color and saffron. Bring it to a boil and add sooji slowly by mixing it vigorously.
Add 1 tablespoon of ghee, mix well and cook for 4-5 minutes until the mixture starts to leave the sides.
Add sugar and elachi powder, mix well and cook until the kesari leaves the sides of the pan. This should take about 5-6 minutes. Turn off the stove.
Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a small pan, add all nuts and fry till they are golden. Turn off the stove and add them to the kesari.
Serve hot or at room temperature.

Usirikaya Chutney/Amla Chutney

Usirikaya/Amla/Indian goose berry has lot of nutritional value hence good for ones health. Usirikaya is very sour in taste.
Usirikaya chutney is a really old traditional recipe but almost forgotten now. I just wanted to make it and make kids taste it. They loved the chutney as it's not really a pickle and easy on the tummy.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves : 5-6

Ingredients:

Usirikaya/Amla : 1 cup (deseeded and chopped)
Dry Red Chilies : 5 broken in half
Chana Dal/Senagapappu : 1 1/2 teaspoons
Urad dal/Minappapu : 1 1/2 teaspoons
Cumin seeds/ Jeera : 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

For Tempering:
Chana dal /Senagapappu : 1 teaspoon
Urad dal/ Minappappu : 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds/Aavalu : 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves : 2 sprigs

Method:

Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a pan add Chana Dal, Urad Dal and fry till they turn golden, add dry red chilies and fry for 1 minute. Add cumin seeds and fry for another 30 seconds. Take them out into a plate and let it cool off.

Add the Usirikaya/Amla pieces into the same pan and sauté for 5-6 minutes until the pieces are cooked well. Let them cool off.

In a blender, add the Dal mixture and then add the Amla pieces and blend into a smooth paste.

Heat oil in a pan and all the ingredients listed under for Tempering and fry for 2 minutes or until the seeds splatter. Add the chutney and mix well. Turn off the stove.

Serve with hot rice or with dosa.